Kiehl's Age Defender Power Serum for acne-prone skin
Cupressus Sempervirens Extract
Glycerin
Dimethicone
Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
Caffeine
Low
- AverageCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ConcerningSafety
A weak match for acne-prone skin; the serums alongside fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with acne-prone skin: breakouts, blackheads, and post-acne marks. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Offers moderate anti-aging benefits for your combination skin with adenosine and hydrolyzed soy protein to minimize fine lines, but it lacks sufficient ingredients for optimal oil control on your oily areas.
- While glycerin provides humectant action, the presence of alcohol denat and parfum may pose a risk of irritation for your skin.
How to apply
- Use your serum as part of your PM routine and start 3x/week before working up to daily use.
- Apply this treatment after cleansing and toner, and before your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and let it absorb for a minute.
- Apply the product on clean, dry skin to help manage your breakouts safely.
- Avoid the eye area and do a patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.4Overall rating based on 600+ reviewsThis serum is highly regarded for its lightweight, fast-absorbing formula that effectively hydrates and firms men's skin. Users frequently report visible improvements in skin texture and a reduction in the appearance of forehead lines and wrinkles with consistent daily use.
Highlights
Fast absorption Mostly Mentioned
- “Absorbs instantly”
- “Sinks in fast”
- “No sticky feeling”
Non-greasy feel Often Mentioned
- “Doesn't feel greasy”
- “No residue”
- “Lightweight gel”
Improves firmness Sometimes Noted
- “Skin feels tighter”
- “Visibly firmer”
- “More resilient”
Reduces lines Sometimes Noted
- “Forehead creases shallower”
- “Helped with lines”
- “Smoothed texture”
High price point Sometimes Noted
- “It's pricey”
- “Expensive for size”
- “Costly for daily use”
Caused dryness Rarely Noted
- “Skin still dry”
- “Caused some irritation”
- “Not hydrating enough”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “Pump not functioning”
- “Bottle issues”
- “Dispenser problems”
Subtle results Rarely Noted
- “No apparent tightening”
- “Hard to notice”
- “Slow to see change”
Sources: lovi.care, kiehls.com, macys.com, ulta.com, bloomingdales.com, spacenk.com, and more
Questions and answers
Why is Kiehl's Age Defender Power Serum a weak match for acne-prone skin?
This serum is a weak match for your acne-prone skin because it lacks sufficient oil-controlling ingredients for oily areas, and ingredients like alcohol and fragrance may cause irritation. Treatments that fit this skin well need ingredients like niacinamide, propolis, and zinc to control oil, hydrate, and calm breakouts without causing irritation.
Which ingredients make this serum a poor fit for acne-prone skin?
This serum is a weak match for your acne-prone skin because alcohol denat and parfum may cause irritation, and it lacks the oil-controlling ingredients you need. A treatment for this skin type needs ingredients like niacinamide, propolis, or zinc PCA to help clear blemishes and control oil without causing irritation.
What does Cypress Extract do for acne-prone skin?
Cypress extract helps calm redness and balances oily areas to keep breakouts at bay. This type of product needs soothing plant extracts and gentle cleansers to keep acne-prone skin clear and smooth.
What does Glycerin do for acne-prone skin?
Glycerin helps keep acne-prone skin hydrated and calm without clogging pores or feeling heavy. It supports the skin barrier so it stays soft and smooth while handling everyday treatments.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008International Journal of Toxicology, 2019
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This serum goes in the evening routine, applied after cleansing and before moisturizing. Because this product is a weak match that lacks sufficient ingredients for oil control and contains alcohol and fragrance that may irritate your skin, an acne-prone skin type needs a treatment with ingredients that manage oil and avoid heavy potential irritants.
Can I use it with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this serum in your evening routine after cleansing and toning, and before your moisturizer, but you should apply retinol on alternate nights to avoid irritation. Because this product lacks sufficient ingredients for oil control and contains alcohol denat and parfum, acne-prone skin needs a product of this type that focuses on oil control and soothing ingredients without potential irritants.
How often should I use this serum?
You can use this treatment in the evening as part of your routine. Because this product is a weak match for your acne-prone skin, an acne-prone skin type of this product needs oil-controlling ingredients to manage oily areas without irritation.
Can it clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This serum is a weak match for acne-prone skin because it lacks enough oil-controlling ingredients for oily areas, and alcohol denat and parfum may risk irritation. An acne-prone skin type needs lightweight, oil-balancing ingredients and soothing hydrators that keep pores clear.
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It contains fragrance (parfum, limonene, linalool, and citral) and drying alcohol (alcohol denat).
What the research says
Adenosine-loaded dissolving microneedle patches showed similar or better efficacy on skin wrinkles, dermal density, elasticity, and hydration compared to adenosine cream in 22 female subjects.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2018Topical application of a disodium adenosine monophosphate-based formulation reduced wrinkles and hyperpigmentation while improving hydration, barrier function, skin lifting, and epidermal turnover in female participants.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2026Horse oil-spread and adenosine-loaded dissolving microneedle patches significantly improved skin elasticity, hydration, dermal density, and wrinkles compared with adenosine-loaded dissolving microneedle patches in 20 women without causing adverse events.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017The emollient V0034CR significantly reduced TEWL compared to vehicle and vehicle plus glycerol, and significantly increased corneometry scores compared to vehicle and vehicle plus petrolatum in healthy volunteers with dry skin, demonstrating combined barrier function improvement from petrolatum and hydration improvement from glycerol.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Ten days of treatment with a cream containing 20% glycerin significantly increased skin hydration measured by corneometer values in 17 healthy volunteers compared to a placebo cream, but showed no influence on transepidermal water loss or skin sensitivity to an irritating surfactant.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2001Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012Wearing an N95 mask alone compared to using dimethicone cream or hydrocolloid dressing caused more adverse skin reactions among 73 military health care workers, with no significant differences in fit test failure rates between groups.
Military Medicine, 2024A dimethicone skin protectant lotion significantly decreased visual scoring and transepidermal water loss compared to vehicle control and SLS-only treated sites in 12 healthy humans exposed to sodium lauryl sulfate.
Skin Research and Technology, 2000Treatment with a moisturizer containing dimethicone and glycerine increased epidermal thickness by 0.019 mm, improved barrier function by decreasing transepidermal water loss by 13%, decreased melanin intensity, and induced keratins 6 and 16 in fifteen women with moderately photoaged forearms.
Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 2007A topical cosmetic slimming product containing tetrahydroxypropyl ethylenediamine, caffeine, carnitine, forskolin and retinol significantly reduced body circumferences and improved skin aspect compared with placebo in 78 women over 12 weeks.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2011Topical sunscreen formulations containing caffeine combined with UV filters increased in vivo anti-UVB protection by approximately 25% and showed higher SPF values compared to caffeine-free sunscreen, while being well tolerated by the skin of healthy subjects.
Frontiers in Physiology, 2019Caffeine gel combined with choline geranate showed high skin permeation capacity and superior clinical results in cellulite treatment compared to caffeine gel without ionic liquid.
AAPS PharmSciTech, 2021
Why other serums fit acne-prone skin better
A panthenol-enriched mask improved skin hydration, regulated sebum, and reduced redness and TEWL across dry sensitive, oily sensitive, and oily acne skin subgroups with excellent tolerance and no adverse reactions.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024A cream combining propolis, tea tree oil, and Aloe vera reduced erythema scars, acne severity index, and total lesion count better than erythromycin cream in sixty patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris compared to placebo.
Clinical Pharmacology, 2018Topical nicotinamide plus an antibacterial adhesive agent and zinc-pyrrolidone carboxylic acid combined with adapalene significantly reduced noninflammatory acne lesions by the second week of therapy compared to placebo with adapalene in patients with moderate acne vulgaris.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2020
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Alcohol Denat, Isononyl Isononanoate, Butylene Glycol, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Phenoxyethanol, Pentylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Parfum, Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol, Propylene Glycol, Ruscus Aculeatus Root Extract, Glycine Soja Oil, Soybean Oil, Caffeine, Tocopherol, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Limonene, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Disodium Edta, Adenosine, T-Butyl Alcohol, Hydroxypalmitoyl Sphinganine, Cryptomeria Japonica Bud Extract, Linalool, Citral
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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